phillips



B. L. PHILLIPS. MACHINE FOR BNGRAVI'NG COPPER CYLINDERS.

Patented July 3, 1860.

BENJAMIN L. PHILLIPS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

MACHINE FOR ENGRAVING COPPER CYLINDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,002, dated July 3, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BnnJ. L. PHILLIPS, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Engraving Copper Cylinders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, makmg part of this specification, in which F igure 1, is a view of a machine for engraving copper cylinders with my improvements attached; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 details to be referred to hereafter.

My improvements are particularly applicable to pentographic engraving machines in which the motions of the cylinders and of the engraving points are governed by a tracer point which is carried by the hand of the operator over the lines of the drawing or sketch to be engraved.

In machines of this class it is absolutely essential that the gravers where there is a series of them, be pressed upon the surface of the copper with an equal and unvarying force, and for this purpose spiral or other springs have been employed; but it was not found possible to adjust the force of these springs with sufficient nicety to produce an exact uniformity of out among all the gravers. To remedy this difiiculty each graver has been weighted and thus a uniformity of cut was secured so long as the gravers were all operated upon one and the same line parallel with the axis of the cylinder. It often occurs however that two or more'sets or series of gravers are employed simultaneously upon different portions of the circumference of the cylinder, and it is evident that in such case the force with which the different gravers press upon the copper will vary. To remedy this evil is the object of the first part of my invention which consists in balancing the graver arm by an exact counterpoise, so that the force with which the graver presses upon the cylinder shall in no wise be influenced by the Weight of its arm, and making it adjustable around a shaft from which is suspended an accurately determined weight, the arm which carried the weight being always kept in a horizontal position, by this means the graver is caused to press upon the cylinder as required with an unvarying force whatever may be its position upon the surface of the latter.

The second part of my invention consists I lever which lifts the graver from the cylinder and the weight which presses the graver to the surface of the copper, this joint being at the same time flexible in one direction and adjustable. The lifting lever and the graver-have before been connected by means of a lever bearing an adjustable stop, but under an arrangement of parts that has proved to be objectionable on account of the,

confined position of the parts and the difli-- culty of making the adjustments each time a different figure was to be engraved.

The fourth part of my invention consists in making the carriage of the graver supporter in two parts, the one resting and moving longitudinally upon rolls, the other part being hinged thereto and bearing upon rolls on thefront of the cylinder, so that the gravers may all be revolved out of the way (together with the parts which sup port them) while the cylinder is being removed or adjusted in place.

The fifth part of my invention consists in a device for reversing the motion of the carriage whereby I am enabled to complete an engraving of any symmetrical figure from a sketch of only one half of it'-by which means the expense of preparing the sketches is greatly reducedthe device which I employ will be more fully described hereafter.

The sixth part of my invention consists in the employment of a peculiar shoe upon the rear end of the graver holder, whereby the gravers may all be adjusted to strike the surface of the copper and to leave it simultaneously.

In the accompanying drawings A is the framework of the machine; B the copper roll which is revolved as the work proceeds by suitable connections with the tracer in any well known andcustomary manner.

The carriage which sustains the graver supporter (seen detached from the machine and upon a reduced scale in Fig. 7), is constructed in two parts the lower plate C of which moves longitudinally upon rollers a,

which are carried by studs projecting from the frame work, the chamfered edges of the rollers entering a groove 0, in the rear portion of the carriage for the purpose of guidmg and steadying its motion. The roller 6, which runs upon a stud 7, also projecting from the frame work supports the forward edge of the inferior plate (0) of the carriage. Upon these rollers (a, and 1),) the plate G, is allowed to move freely in a longitudinal direction. The upper portion of the carriage is composed of a rear plate D, which is hinged to the lower plate C, and a forward plate E which rests upon rolls F, projecting from the frame work, and upon which it is allowed to slide freely.

The two plates D and E, are connected with each other by arms G, which are curved so as to pass over the cylinder or they may be otherwise suitably formed and placed to connect the plates D and E, and constitute with them the upper portion of the carriage. The graver levers or arms of which two sets or series are employed are all sustained by the upper plate 1), of the carriage.

The first series of graver arms H carry the gravers g, which operate upon the cylinder immediately over its axis. A pin it, projecting from the under side of the graver arm H, rests in a hole in an under plate I which is secured by a screw clamp K, to the plate D. Another pin 70, upon the under side of the arm rests in a groove i upon the upper surface of the same plate (D.) The rear end of these arms project beneath the bar L, by which they are all simultaneously raised when it becomes necessary to interrupt the progress of the work. For this purpose this bar may be connected by a rod with a pedal within reach of the foot of the operator. These connections are however well known upon machines of this description. They furthermore form no part of my present invention, and consequently need not be further described.

The gravers g are caused to bear upon the surface of the cylinder with the requisite de gree of force by the weights m which are accurately adjusted to produce the pressure required. In addition to the gravers 9 there is an additional set or series tn, Figs. 2 and 5) which are adjusted to operate upon the cylinder in lines parallel with that in which the first series work. It will be suflicient to describe one of these gravers as they are all alike in construction and operation. In Figs. 2 and 5, one of these gravers (n) is represented as carried by the graver arm M, which slides freely upon the bar N. This bar is pivoted at 1 and 2, to the graver carriage 0 (Fig. 5) and passes through a socket P, in the graver arm.

The graver arm is tightened upon the bar N, by a screw 3 (Fig. 2) attached to the knob or weight Q by which the graver arm is balanced. When this screw is loosened the graver arm may be slid longitudinally upon the bar N, or revolved around it, when the screw 3 is tightened the arm M and the bar N move together around the pivots 1 and 2. By means of the adjustment of the arm M longitudinally upon the bar N the gravers a after being brought nearly into position by the motion of the graver supporter carriage D, C, may be adjusted with great nicety to the exact points where they are required to operate upon the cylinder or they may be so adjusted as to work directly in front of the gravers g of the other series.

It is evident if the weight by which the graver is pressed upon the surface of the copper be applied to the graver arm itself that this pressure will vary as the position of the graver upon the cylinder is changed, being less when the graver is at 4, than when it is at 5 (Fig. 2) and that a want of uniformity in the depth of cut would result. To avoid this difficulty I make the knob Q, of a weight that shall exactly counterbalance the graver arm, and for the purpose of producing the required pressure. upon the graver, a weight is applied to the bar N, in such a manner that it may be instantly adjusted to produce a uniform pressure, whatever may be the position of the graver. To accomplish this end the weight R, is attached to an arm h, projecting from the bar N, and is of a weight that shall produce the exact pressure required upon the graver, when the arm h, is horizontal, in which position it is constantly held by a proper adjustment of the graver arm M, to the arm 72., whenever the position of the graver upon the circumference of the cylinder is changed. To effect this adjustment it is simply necessary, 1st, to loosen the screw 3 by turning the knob Q; 2nd, to place the point of the graver upon the surface of the cylinder;

3rd, to raise the weight R until the arm 72,

is horizontal; 4th, to tighten the screw 3 and clamp the arm M, and bar N, together by which the weight R will be brought to bear upon the graver with a force that will be constant so long as the arm it remains horizontal.

It is obvious that in lieu of making the arm it, fast to the bar N, and the graver arm adjustable around the same, that the latter may be made fast to the bar and the arm h adjustable around it.

As the engraving proceeds it becomes necessary from time to time to raise the graver entirely clear of the cylinder. This is effected in the following manner: A bell crank lever S, is pivoted to the graver supporter at i and is connected by means of the rod m with the weight R. The rear end of this lever projects beneath the bar L, which is depressed when the gravers are to be raised. This may be efiected by means of a treadle suitably connected with the bar or in any othermanner. It is obvious that the joint between the lever S and the rod m should be capable of adjustment to adapt it to any position of the graver and at the same time that it be allowed to swivel in one direction to permit the graver to be raised when required; for this purpose I employ the joint represented in Fig. 1 which consists of a metallic ball a pivoted in the fork of the lever S and through the center of which the rod m is passed the ball and rod being clamped together by a screw Z. The lever S, and rod 791-, may thus be adjusted together to suitany position in which the graver is required to be placed.

The graver carriage is constructed in two parts, a rod V, rising from the lower portion 0 (Figs. 1 and 5) entering a socket V, in the upper portion of the carriage. The two portions are clamped together in position by a screw a which passes through the lower portion of the socket V, and enters a groove 6 in the rod V. The carriage is clamped by means of the screw g to the graver supporter T, the point of the clamp screw entering a groove 8, in the graver supporter.

The graver supporter consists of a curved bar T, one end of which is clamped by the screw (P, to the carriage D, the foot of the clamp screw sliding in the under-cut way 7. The forward end of the graver supporter T, rests in a groove 9 in the upper edge of the plate E in which it may be clamped when adjusted, by the screw 72?.

In machines of this class a tracer point is passed over the lines of a sketch of the pattern to be engraved. This tracer is con nected by means of a pentograph with the graver supporter carriage and with the cylinder to be engraved in such a manner that the movements of the tracer in directions parallel with the axis of the cylinder to be engraved, shall be communicated to the graver supporter carriage and the movements of the tracer in directions perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder shall be communicated to the cylinder causing it to revolve around its axis, all motions of the tracer in lines inclined to those directions setting both the carriage and the cylinder in motion. This portion of the mechanism being old and well known and forming no part of my present invention is not represented in the accompanying drawings and need not be further described.

The motion of the tracer point in directions parallel with the axis of the cylinder is communicated to the shaft X, and through it to the carriage C, D. The device employed to transmit the motion of the shaft X, to the carriage in one direction or the other and to reverse the same when required forms the fifth part of my invention and will now be described. The shaft X, carries two sleeves k m either one of which may be clamped to the shaft by screws one of which is seen at 0 ,the sleeves are kept in place by collars n 0 (Fig. 4). Each of the sleeves m has attached to it two metallic spring bands 1, 8 25 Q2 (Fig. 3,) the opposite ends of which are carried by a frame or carriage A which is suspended by one or more bars B from the carriage C, D. The ends of the spring bands are tightened by nuts 7 and S and, thus any motion of either of the sleeves 70 m will be communicated to the frame A and \carriage C, D, and if either of these sleeves be clamped to the shaft X, any motion of this shaft will at. once set the carriage with its gravers in motion. It is manifest that but one of the sleeves should be clamped to the shaft at a time.

Then a symmetrical figure is to be engraved the two halves of which correspond exactly to each other, it will be sufficient to have a sketch of one half thefigure, and to clamp the sleeve 70 to the shaft, the other sleeve m being allowed to run loose. On passing the tracer over the lines of the half sketch, one half the pattern will be engraved, and if the sleeve 70 be unclamped and the other sleeve be fastened upon the shaft on again passing the tracer over the lines of the sketch the other half of the pattern will be engraved, the longitudinal motions of the gravers being in directions the reverse of what they were when the other sleeve was fast upon the shaft. In thus changing from one side of the figure tothe other it becomes necessary that one sleeve be tightened before the other is loosened, in order that the tracer and the gravers may always be in the proper position with respect to each other, as any motion of the one independent of the other would necessarily result in imperfect work. A great saving in the cost of sketches is thus effected. The attempt has been made to produce this reversed motion of the gravers by means of two racks and a pinion upon the shaft but without success, on account of the lost motion occasioned when changing from one side to the otherby means of the metallic bands above described, the carriage C, D, is at all times held steady and no lost motion results. It is not absolutely essential to employ two sets of spring bands as above described. A single set as t g with their sleeve m may be employed with a pinion w, and rack 3 the pinion and the sleeve being alternately clamped to the shaft to produce the required motion in one direction and the other of the gravers. In this case the single set of bands holds the gravers steady, while the change is being eifected.

It has been stated that it is necessary at certain stages of the operation to raise the gravers from the surface of the cylinder, and

it is evident that all the gravers should be raised simultaneously. This may be easily effected with those attached to the graver supporter T by adjusting the bell crank levers S so that they shall be struck simultaneously by the lifting bar L when the latter is depressed. The graver lever H is not however capable of such adjustment, and for this purpose it is furnished with an adjusting shoe, the construction and operation of which is as follows:

p (Figs. 1 and 6) is a spring plate or shoe secured to the graver lever at 9.

r is a screw which passes through the lever and bears upon the plate 1) which may thus be raised or lowered as required to adjust each graver lever to the lifting bar L.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Making the carriage of the graver supporter in two parts D and C and bringing them together as set forth for the purpose specified.

2. Connecting the carriage D, C, with the shaft X by means of metallic bands as set forth for the purpose described.

3. The shoe P upon the end of the graver arm as applied to machinery for engraving cylinders.

BENJ. L. PHILLIPS.

WVitnesses SAM. COOPER, THos. R. RoAoH. 

